Pressure molding machine



Feb. 17, 1931. c. e. EBELI 1,793,215

I PRESSURE MOLDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 27, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l FISH.

Com ells @amrdus Eh e\ L NVENTOR: BVW

"81w Attorney Feb. 17, 1931. c. G. EBELI PRESSURE MOLDING MACHINE 4 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 27, 1928.

FIGLG CornelLs Gem. Pd us Eben INVENTOR' Feb. 17, 1931. c. G. EBELI PRESSURE MOLDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 2'7, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Ill Cm-nehs Gerard L15 Ebell INVENTOR;

Amrnegy Patented Feb. 17, 1931 lJNlTElli S GORNELIS GERARDUS EBELI,

OF I-IAARLEM, NETHERLANDS PRESSURE MOLDING IIIACHINE Application filed December 27, 1928, Serial No. 328,629, and. in the Netherlands December 29, 1927.

motion connection together, one part being provided with stop members for the passages through the other part.

The invention results in the advantage that the piston in the lower part of the receptacle can be arranged so that it operates on a relatively small quantity of the thick fluid mass, which is contrary to the usual practice in the case of such machines, in which the receptacle is filled with a large quantity of the thick fluid mass, which is pressed down by a long stroke piston moving slowly'downwardly.' This method of operation is unsuitable, because the mass re mains too long in the receptacle, whereby the necessary uniformity of temperature of the mass becomes destroyed, and more especially with chocolate is the viscosity affected, causing an uneven distribution of the mass when being pressed out of receptacle. Consequently, the molds are not filled uniformly. lhese disadvantages are entirely obviated by means of the present invention.

In the case of this invention, the piston may comprise two plates, which are provided with corresponding apertures, and between which is disposed a sieve plate so that an ossible im urities or forei 'n bodies in the mass are held back. The lost motion coupling between the two plates may be obwhich pass freely through openings in the other plate and are provided on their ends with heads or other stop means.

The means for moving the piston, in the case of this invention, is such that the stroke of the piston is made up of two parts, one to take up the lost motion, and the other part for effecting the real work. Preferably an adjusting device is provided, by which the length of the second partiof the piston stroke tained by providing one plate with pins,

can be regulated. The piston may, for example, be driven by an eccentric disc, having an adjustable lug for controlling the second part of the piston stroke, the effective height of the lug, i. e. the distance by which it projects from the surface of the eccentric disc, being adjustable.

y employing a machine such asindicatedabove, a uniformly large quantity of the mass may be expressed by each pressure stroke of the piston, whilst it is possible exactly to regulate this quantity by means of the adj ustable lug.

In order to prevent the expressed chocolate from hanging tenaciously in threads round the edges of the discharge apertures, whereby the quantities pressed into the molds would not always be equal, notwithstanding the use of the above-indicated means, a lifting contrivance, well known in itself, is used, which at the moment of filling, or immediately before, raises and then lowers the mold plate placed under the receptacle. The mold plate moving upwardly and then downwardly practically takes the chocolate direct from the pressure discharge apertures.

in carrying out the invention the lifting device is preferably provided with a shaking down contrivance adapted to cause the mold plateto vibrate after the filling of the mold recesses, in such manner'tha t these recesses are filled in a uniform manner.

Further according to the invention the shaking down means comprises a sleeve which is pressed by a spring towards the lower surface of the mold supporting plate of the lifting contrivance, and a rotary driven disc provided with a number of teeth, which successively press down the sleeve against the action ofthe spring and set it free again, so that the sleeve gives a series of blows against the lifting plate and thus vibrate the mold plate.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into practice, I have appended hereto four sheets of drawings, illustrating the same, wherein Figure 1 is a side view of a machine accord ing to the invention,

Figure 2 is a front View of the machine,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the line III-ill of Figure 7, through the chocolate receptacle, showing the piston operating therein, and also the lifting and shaking do vn neans, to a larger scale.

Figure 1- is a side elevational view of the stroke regulating de ice;

Figure 5 is a substantially longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Figures 6 to 8 show separately the various parts of which the piston is composed, in plan view.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the stroke elevating: device;

l igg'ure 10 is a perspective view of the piston h parts broken away to disclose otherwise .dcn parts.

The in chine illustrated comprise: a frame 1, on which mounted a receptacle 2 for the chocolate to be p. ired out, and a r agazine 3 for mold plates ii feeding device, in itself well known, operates in conjunction with this magazine, which feeding device is connected with the main shaft of the machine (Figure by which it is driven, an d pushes the mold plate, which is the lowermost for the time being, out of magazine 3 under receptacle 2, while at the same time this mold plate pushes the previous filled mold plate out or the machine and on to a feed band.

The receptarle 2 has the shape shown in Figure 3, and provided with a hot-water or steam acket 7, in order to keep the chocolate at the desired temperature. This receptacle 2 is closed at its lower end by a removable plate 9, which may be exchanged, and is formed with apertures 8. On this plate slides a second movable plate 11 formed with apertures 10, which plate 11 fits in an air-tight manner in slots in the walls of the receptacle 2. By means of a lever system 12, 13, it can be moved back 'ards and forwards by the main shaft of the machine at the right moments.

In the receptacle 2 moves a piston which comprises two pr ncipal parts. due of said parts comprises two plates 14, 15, provided with corresponding, apertures 16, l7, and fixed one over the other with a e plate 18 disposed between them. The second part of the piston consists of a plate 19, similarly provided with apertures 20, and th s is connected with the first part of the piston by means of pins 21, which are fixed in plate 15, and enter easily into the apertures 20 in plate their free enc s being provided with a head or other stop means. The length of the pins 21 is such that the plates 15 and 19 may be spaced at some distance from each other. In tl e intervening space between these two plates are stop members, which in this case consist of cylindrical blocks 23, which are astened on the low r side of plate 15 and in a predetermined position of the piston pa can cloe the apertures in plate 19.

The piston is fixed to a piston rod 2% which a (Figure 2) is pivotally connected with a lever 26, whose other end, by means of rod 27, is connected with a straight rod 28, which is pivotally connected to a forked member 29, which in turn pivotally connected at to the frame 1 of the machine (Figures 1, 2 and l, 5).

The member 29 carries at the ends of its aims, rollers 31, 32, provided with flanges, which in the case of roller 32 project more beyond the roller than in the case of the upper roller 31, (Figure 5) The flanges of rollers 31 and 32 run round periphery of a disc 33, which is fixed ecccnti'ically on the end of the main shaft 6 of ie machine, and contains a recess 3%, whilst 4 "Id disc 33 is fixed a ring); 35, which overlaps the edge of recess 34-, which reces. has at one portion of its circumference an outlet opening 36. In the recess 3% is disposed a disc 3?. in a freely movable manner, which disc is provided vith a peripheral lug); 38, w ich pa, s through opening 36. The disc 37 can be fixed in relation to disc 33 in such n circumference of the eccentric disc 33. Opposite the lug; or disc 3?, disc 33 and ring are formed with flat surfaces.

he elearaiuze between the hub of the lower roller and the circumference of the disc 33 and between the flanges of said rollers and the flattened portions of the discs and 35 is such that even in the highest position of the cam 33, the upper roller 31 is able to top the c; m 33 witnout jamming the device. lVhen the eccentric disc rotates between the rollers, the latter normally run on the periphery of said disc and when the cam is in its lowermost position, i. e.. flush with or below said periphery, e. g., as shown in Figures l and 5, the rollers constantly remain in contact with the disc. so that the stroke of the piston is equal to the eccentricity only. If the cam is raised, e. in its highest position. the rollers remain in contact with the periphery of the disc, until the cam comes under the top roller. At that point the flat portions of the discs 33 and 35 are opposite the flanges of the lower roller thereby permitting the same to be lifted, relatively to the eccentric disc, when the upper roller 31 tops the cam. Disc 37 carries pin 39 which is rotatably held by a flat, cranked rod 40 connected by a pivot to the frame. At point 41, rod 40 is pin-jointed to a rod 4-2 (Figure 1), which can be screwed upwardly or downwardly by means of hand wheel 43, whereby the position of disc 37 and thus the projection of log 38 beyond disc 33 can be altered according to the quantity of material to be pressed out by each working stroke of the piston.

In the upper part of frame 1, beneath receptacle 2, are arranged two parallel angleirons L l i, 45, which form guides for the mold plates l. As stated, these are contained in amagazine 3, from which they are removed nner that the lug 38 can projectbeyond the one after the other by the feeding device 5, and pushed between the guides 44, under receptacle 2, a new plate pushing the newly filled mold plate which preceded it, along the sloping surface 46 out of the machine. In this position the mold plate lies on a lifting plate 47 (Figure 3) which is loosely mounted on the upper end of a rod 48. The rod 48 is provided at its lower end with a roller 49 running on an eccentric lifting cam 50, wnich is mounted on the main shaft of he machine.

The lower end of rod 48 is kept in the correct posit-ion by means of an arm 51, which is rotatable about the aXis of roller 49', and at its other end is pivotally connected with the frame of the machine, suilicient play being allowed in the connections to compensate for the arcuate movement of the end of arm 51.

Around the rod 48, near its upper end, is arranged a sleeve like member 52, which is movable along the rod, and is normally held by a compression spring 53 against the lower end of the hub 54 on the lifting plate 57. Closely adjacent to the rod 48 is also disposed a disc mounted for rotation and driven at a predetermined speed by the main-shaft 6 (Figure 1). This disc 55 is provided with anumber of teeth 56, which strike one after the other upon a collar 5. carried by the sleeve 52,

. which is thereby depressed against the action of spring 53. As soon as a tooth 56 disengages from collar 57, the sleeve 52 quickly rises and presses against the hub 54, so that the mold plate lying on the lifting plate 47 is caused to vibrate, whereby the chocolate is evenly distributed in the mold openings. The

. arrangement is further such that the lifting plate 4? after disengagement of the last tooth 58, can make an upward and downward movement before the first tooth again engages with the collar 57.

The fiat piston rod 24 is formed at its upper end as a rack with which a driving pinion 58 engages. This pinion 58 is mounted between brackets 59, 60, and is adapted to be rotated by a crank handle 61. The pinion 58 can in well known manner be engaged and disengaged from the rack rod 48. Normally the pinion 58 is disengaged. If the pinion is engaged and the connection 25 unfastened, the piston can be raised by means of the crank handle, to permit removal of the piston from the receptacle 2.

The operation of the machine is as fol lows lVhen, on moving out of the position of Figure 5, owing to rotation of main shaft 6, the lug 38 becomes free of roller 31, the roller 32 is pressed down to the end of its travel by I the left hand corner A of the flattened part of ring .35. Consequently, upward movement of the piston from its lowest position is caused, which movement is afterwards slowly continned, by the action of the eccentric disc on the flanges of roller 32. Thereafter only the part 14, 15 of the piston moves upwards, the plate 19'remaining resting on the thick fluid mass beneath the piston. The apertures 20 in plate 19 thus become free, and a quantity of chocolate is sucked from the space above the piston through the apertures 16, 17, and sieve plate 18. As soon as the back lash of the connecting parts has been absorbed, and when the heads 22 of pins 21 have been brought against the lower side of plate 19, the piston moves as a whole again over the remaining part of its upward stroke, during which time a corresponding quantity of chocolate becomes forced through apertures 20 in plate 19 below the piston. During this part of the piston stroke the lug 38 is pulled back by reason of its eccentric arrangement, so that it is unable to operate on roller 32. The movable plate 11 is at this time in a position in which the apertures 10 are not opposite to the apertures 8 in plate 9. At the end of the upward stroke of the piston the direction of movement of the piston rod is reversed. The plate 19 will first of all remain back with respect to plates 14, 15, so that the blocks 23 will at first stop the apertures 20 in plate 19.

At this moment the lug 38will come under roller 31, so that the flanges of this roller are raised from the disc 33 and ring 35, and the pressure stroke of the piston is started. The roller 32 can follow this upward movement of the fork 29, owing to the flattening of the disc 33 and ring 35. At the same time'the plate 11 is displaced in such manner that the apertures 10 coincide with the apertures 8, and lifting plate 47 is raised up with the mold plate, so that the mold recesses receive expressed chocolate, whereupon plate 47 immediately drops, so thatvthe chocolate will be drawn in the right direction. WVhen the plate 47 with the mold plate thereon has reached its lowest position, the knocking down or vibrating device comes into operation, and the molds are uniformly filled. The filled mold plate, on a new mold plate being brought from magazine 3, is pushed out along the sloping surface 46, and delivered to a conveying band (not shown).

The regulation of the amount of chocolate pressed out per stroke depends, as described above, upon the setting of the lug 38, in regard to the disc 33 and ring 35. The plate 9 remains normally fixed, but is interchangeable, so that the machine can be used with different mold plates.

What I claim is 1. A piston for placing a thick fluid mass under pressure in a receptacle from which it is run into molds, comprising two perforated members, one thereof being constructed of two plates having corresponding apertures and a sieve plate interposed therebetween, means connecting said members to permit relative movement thereof, and means carried by one of said members to open and close the perforations of the other member When relative movement of the two members is eiiected.

Q. A piston as claimed in claim 1, in which the means to open and close the perforations of one member, comprise blocks fined on the under side of the upper member and during a portion of the down stroke of the piston close the apertures in the lower member.

3. In combination, a piston as claimed in claim 1, and means for driving the piston, comprising a piston rod lever connected at one end to said rod, a link connected at one end to the Lher end of the lever, a pivoted oke at other end of ti e link, flanged followers a the ends of the yoke, a disc mounted for rotation and upon Which the llowers run. said disc being provided with r recess lezieing' to a radial slot, a ring overlapping the edge of the recess, a disc adjustable on the recess end having" a radial lug projecting through said radial slot, a crank pin carried by the ad justahle dire crank red pivoted at e. fixed point at one end and mounted on the crank pin at the other end, means "for raising and lowering said crank red. to alter he position of the eccentric disc and consequently the stroke of said piston, whereby the quantity of material to be exuded will be predetermined.

r. In combination with a piston, as claimed in claim 1 oi? a lined and a movable perforated plate for the receptacle below the piston means for operating the movable plate to open and closed positions of the perforations, a mold plate beneath the receptacle, supporting means for raising and lowering the mold plate, and means for vibrating the mold plates subsequent to the filling thereof, comprising' a sleeve, a spring urging the sleeve towards the under surface of the mold plate supporting means a rotary driven toothed disc to engage and successively depress the sleeve against the spring and then free it again.

CORNELIS GERARDUS EBELI. 

